Rugby Union: the road still seems long for RC Sète, beaten at home

Les Sétois n'ont jamais réussi à percer la muraille. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

Les Sétois se sont inclinés 12-19, ce dimanche 15 septembre, face à Vendres pour l'ouverture du championnat de Fédérale 3.

Vendres-Lespignan pulled off a great coup on this first day of the championship. By putting the Sète team out, the visitors spoiled the party. And they didn't wait long to show their intentions, with a penalty from Pecherand at the start of the match (0-3). A few minutes later, Gayé responded (6-6) and then, little by little, the RC Sète forwards managed to take the lead.

Their efforts paid off in the 9th minute, offering a penalty to Gayé (6-3). Then the scrum forced Vendres into error again and the score went to 9-3. Opposite, Pecherand seized the opportunity to reduce the gap (9-6) and, like a white card on Alfaroli, the Sète players were often sanctioned.

Too much technical waste

But that was nothing compared to what was to come. If the men of the Estruch-Piazza tandem started the second half well (12-6, 52nd), the rest was going to be complicated… In a match where the score only changed thanks to the whistles, the light for Vendres was going to come from Barriac, who ran right through the middle of a defense that was at a standstill to offer the only try of the match to Perez (12-16).

The blow was hard. The Sète players were struggling and conceded a new penalty for having used him too much (12-19). There were still twenty minutes to play but the score was going to stay there. The fault lies in too much technical waste on the Sète side, guilty of too many mistakes and forward passes. After a final loss of the ball in touch, the match ended in an icy atmosphere…

The technical sheet

► RC Sète………………………..12
► Vendres-Lespignan……….19

Stade Bayrou.
Half-time: 9-6.
Referee: Jean Moureau.
Spectators: 950.

For Sète: 4 penalties from Gayé (5th, 9th, 17th, 52nd).

For Vendres-Lespignan: 1 try from Perez (60th), converted by Pecherand. 3 penalties from Pecherand (1st, 32nd, 55th), one penalty from Becus (62nd).

White card to Sète: Alfaroli (33rd).